Elma and Montesano picked up important league victories as we review Thursday’s boys prep soccer games on the Harbor.

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BOYS PREP SOCCER

Elma 5, Hoquiam 2

Elma dominated in the second half to earn a 5-2 win over Hoquiam in a 1A Evergreen League game on Thursday at Hoquiam High School.

The Eagles (1-1 overall, 1A Evergreen) took the lead on a goal by freshman midfielder Manny Venegas early in the first half only to see the Grizzlies (0-3, 0-2) tie the game when sophomore midfielder J.B. Fabian scored on a through ball from junior forward Santiago Martinez at the midpoint of the half.

Hoquiam would take the lead when Fabian send a cross to sophomore midfielder Michael Garcia, who put the ball in the back of the net in the 37th minute.

With just seconds remaining in the first half, Elma sophomore midfielder Ivan Rodriguez scored off a throw-in from senior midfielder Ivan Torres to tie the game at 2-all going into halftime.

In the second half, Elma took control.

The Eagles had the better of possession and applied consistent pressure in the wet, muddy conditions to quickly gain the advantage.

Rodriguez scored his second of the game in the 43rd minute to regain the lead.

Just six minutes later, Eagles sophomore midfielder Luis Torres blasted a shot off a corner kick from senior defender Oscar Pineda into the net for a 4-2 lead.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma forward Luis Torres (middle) celebrates with teammates Oscar Pineda (8) and Gregory Mendez after scoring a goal in 5-2 win over Hoquiam on Thursday in Hoquiam.

Ivan Torres sent a well-placed free kick high into the corner of the net for a 5-2 lead in the 57th minute to put the game away.

“Coming off our game down in Rochester, we just did not create enough chances to be dangerous,” Elma head coach Carson Seaberg said. “We finished a little better in the second half. I think in the first half, we had an opportunity to have two more (goals), then the halves maybe don’t look quite so different.”

Seaberg also addressed the rain-soaked field conditions, which he felt created a situation that favored his team.

“This field, with the amount of rain we got over the last 24 hours, it gets heavy feet,” he said. “So we felt like our conditioning was going to pull us through and we would keep putting the pressure on. In the end, we felt like we were fresh out there and still getting done what we wanted to. So we were happy with that.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma’s Ivan Rodriguez (right) is defended by Hoquiam’s Israel Rosales during the Eagles’ 5-2 win on Thursday at the Sea Breeze Oval in Hoquiam.

For Hoquiam, the loss was eerily similar to the Grizzlies’ 6-3 defeat to Montesano earlier in the week, in which the two teams were tied at halftime until the Grizzlies surrendered three goals in the second half to suffer the loss.

“I think our defensive line just got lost in positions and Elma stepped up and took advantage of that,” said Hoquiam head coach Corri Schmid, whose message to the team was clear after their third loss to open the season. “I think it’s asking the team what they want. What are their goals? What do they want to achieve? Are they actually going to step up because, obviously, in the second half we kind of shut down a little bit. So it’s really the effort they want to put forward and what they want out of the season.”

Hoquiam will look to get back on track against Raymond-South Bend at 6 p.m. on Monday in Hoquiam.

Elma hosts Montesano at 7 p.m. on Monday.

Elma 2 3 – 5

Hoquiam 2 0 – 2

Scoring

First half – 1, Elma, Venegas, 17th minute. 2, Hoquiam, Fabian (Martinez). 3, Hoquiam, Garcia (Fabian), 37th minute. 4, Elma, Rodriguez (I. Torres), 40th minute.

Second half – 5, Elma, Rodriguez, 43rd minute. 6, Elma, L. Torres (Pineda), 49th minute. 7, Elma, I. Torres, 57th minute.

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Montesano 4, Tenino 2

Montesano remained unbeaten in league play with a 4-2 victory over Tenino on Thursday at Beaver Stadium in Tenino.

Senior forward Felix Romero scored four goals for the Bulld0gs (3-0 overall, 1A Evergreen), three coming off assists from junior midfielder Cris Tobar.

Romero opened a high-scoring first quarter of the game with a goal off a corner from Tobar in the fourth minute.

Tenino (1-2, 1-1) tied the game on the reset, as a long ball from past midfield was booted over the head of Monte sophomore goalkeeper Matt Causey to tie the game.

Romero followed his own shot for a rebound goal in the 16th minute to give Monte a 2-1 advantage.

Tobar assisted on Romero’s third goal of the game – a set piece that Romero got his head on – for a 3-1 lead in the 35th minute.

But Tenino responded with a goal just three minutes later as the Bulldogs would take a 3-2 lead at halftime.

Monte’s dynamic scoring duo was at it again in the second half, with Romero scoring a header off another Tobar free kick for a 4-2 lead in the 47th minute.

The Bulldogs defense shored up in the second half, with Causey needing to make just one save over the final 40 minutes of the game to secure the victory.

“We played better, but we still gave up goals that we just shouldn’t be giving up,” Montesano head coach Fidel Sanchez said. “It wasn’t as close of a game as it looks. … Our midfield was better than theirs and we were able to control it and do our thing. … But (Tenino) kept themselves in the game by our mistakes. … But we locked in a little better in the second half and the guys responded well.”

Montesano faces Elma in a key 1A Evergreen League game set for 7 p.m. Monday at Elma High School.

Montesano 3 1 – 4

Tenino 2 0 – 2

Scoring

First half – 1, Montesano, Romero (Tobar), 4th minute. 2, Tenino, 6th minute. 3, Montesano, Romero, 16th minute. 4, Montesano, Romero (Tobar), 35th minute. 5, Tenino, 38th minute.

Second half – 6, Montesano, Romero (Tobar), 47th minute.